From the Ashes
by TDWidow
Summary: Since the tragedy at Alkali Lake, each of the XMen have been dealing with their own emotions and losses. But their strength is coming soon, in the form of fire...spoilers for X2 COMPLETE
1. Rising

**DISCLAIMER **These characters belong to Stan Lee and Marvel Comic Books. I'm just borrowing them. The events preceding this story belong to 20th Century Fox and the makers of _X2: X-Men United_.

They were my last vision – the memory I took with me into the darkness. My family. The X-Men.

Professor Charles Xavier, my mentor and a father to me for as long as I can remember. Ororo Munroe, Storm, was my friend, the only other woman around for me to talk to. There was Kurt Wagner, who never let us forget his alias as the Incredible Nightcrawler, the newest of our team and yet one of the most important. Bobby Drake, called Iceman, and the girl Marie, whom we knew as Rogue, were only children but they would be powerful. Very powerful. There was Logan…the mysterious Wolverine. The loner. The fighter. And the man who, against my better judgment, got under my skin more than I'd like him to.

And finally, there was Scott. Scott Summers, known also as Cyclops. He was the love of my life. My husband, my lover, my life.

I sacrificed myself for them. There are times when I wonder if it was worth it. But then I stop and think. If I hadn't left the Blackbird, none of us would have survived. Better one than all.

Now as I watch them, I know my decision was right. Professor Xavier must know, but the others can't possibly. They are living and that's enough for me. Maybe one day I'll be able to return to them.

Right now, I only dream of that day. But something is changing. It's been three months since Alkali Lake and I feel suddenly stronger. I feel ready. I'm almost ready for the day my family can welcome me home again.

That day will come soon.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** Sorry this is so short! The actual chapters will be longer, I promise. This is just the prologue. I'm assuming the Scott and Jean were married in X2. There was one line that is either "I married a good guy" or "They marry the good guys." Either way, I'm assuming that they're married. And the Blackbird is the name of the X-jet, which they never say in either movie, I'm pretty sure.


	2. Remembering

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** I'm back! The way I post is to rotate which story gets updated and I have 5 that I'm posting so it takes about a month between posts with each story. Sorry! By the way, I have a thing for James Marsden (Cyclops) and VERY MUCH like the way he looks in black leather, hehe.

**DISCLAIMER** Don't own X-Men. Wouldn't mind owning Logan or Cyclops or Bobby tho…*innocent look*

**Little Took** I'm glad you like it so far! And it's supposed to bring tears, hehe.

**Julie** Thanks! I will continue *grin*

**Tournesol** Oh yes…I am a fan of Scott! Cept I'm also a fan of Logan/Jean…hmm…confusion.

**Flameshadow** There will be Nightcrawler, but probably not as much as you'd like. Sorry! I don't know…I got the impression that they were married and that they weren't. So I just decided on one.

It was a clear day in Westchester, New York. The sun was shining brightly and a warm breeze gently cooled the handful of teenagers playing basketball outside the beautiful ivy-covered mansion. Fall was approaching, but the air still clung to summer.

The basketball game ended and the six teens made their way back to the mansion. A pretty, dark-skinned woman greeted them at the door.

A girl with a white streak in her hair stopped by the older woman. "It's such a gorgeous day!" she said. The older one smiled and nodded. "Thanks for that!" the first added.

The older woman laughed and tossed her pure white hair over a shoulder. "Don't thank me! Today is Mother Nature all by herself."

The girl shrugged and headed inside. "I'll see you later, Storm!"

Storm just waved and pulled up a chair. She placed it in a particularly sunny spot and sat down in the warm gold.

After a few moments, the sun seemed to flicker. Storm opened her eyes and shielded them as she looked up into the sky. Not a cloud was to be seen.

"Storm!"

The white-haired woman turned around at the sound of her code-name. Approaching from the garage was a rough-looking man in a T-shirt and faded jeans. "Hello Logan!" she called.

Logan, also called the Wolverine, came to stand beside Storm's chair. "Nice weather we're having." Storm nodded. He looked down at her. "Your doing?"

Storm laughed. "Rogue just asked me the same thing! But no, this is all Nature." She shaded her eyes and gazed up into the sky's endless blue. "The sky is so clear. But it was almost like a plane or something flew across the sun a minute ago."

Logan looked up at the sky then back to the white-haired woman with an amused look on his face. Nodding upwards, he casually mentioned, "There is a plane up there. Ours."

Storm immediately looked up again. Her eyes, though not nearly as enhanced as Logan's, picked the faintest speck near the sun. She assumed it must be the Blackbird.

'It seems really small to have caused the sun to flicker like that,' she thought. She pushed the thought from her mind. After all, her own unconscious thoughts could cause a wayward cloud to temporarily block the sun.

"I dunno what you're thinking," Logan said, interrupted Storm's thoughts. "But let's go see what the boys came back with."

Storm got up from her chair, out of the warm and comfortable sun. She and Logan entered the mansion and headed for the lower levels.

***

Wheelchair bound Professor Charles Xavier, founder and head of the school that the mansion housed, waited for Logan and Storm outside the Blackbird's hanger. Rogue, the girl with a white streak in her hair, stood with him. "Ah, Ororo, Logan, good," the Professor addressed, using Storm's real name.

"Any news, Professor?" Storm asked.

Xavier shook his head. "They should be landing soon."

Rogue moved to stand next to Logan. Storm and the Professor watched the girl from the corners of their eyes. She didn't seem to notice. Her attention was entirely divided between the rugged man beside her and the door to the hanger.

After a tense silent moment, the soft whir of engines was heard in the hanger. Another moment's wait and the door slid silently open. Two older men and a younger one stood in the doorway. Each wore an identical expression of disappointment.

Professor Xavier looked expectantly at the man seemingly in charge of the mission. He was tall, with dark hair and a lean body accented by the black leather suit he wore. His eyes were concealed behind a visor made of reddish glass.

"Nothing, Professor," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Ve vere too late," commented the other older man with a heavy German accent. He too wore a suit of black leather, but also wore a long tan coat. His skin, from his pointed ears to his long pointed tail, was deep indigo blue. "Vhen ve got there, all that vas left vas charred remains."

Professor Xavier looked deeply sad. He sighed. "Thank you Scott." The man with the visor nodded. The professor continued. "Now I supposed we wait for the next move."

The younger man, looking to be about 18, had been quiet upon returning. With a look on his face mixed of sorrow and hatred, he turned from the group and stalked off.

"Bobby! Bobby, come back!" Rogue called. She ran after him.

Storm started to follow the two teenagers, but Logan put a hand on her arm. "Leave 'em alone. Bobby's had a rough time."

"He just returned from a mission against his best friend," the blue-skinned man said. Glancing at Scott, he continued, "He's lost a lot."

Ororo just looked after the two sadly. "I know, Kurt. I just wish I could help him."

Kurt's words ripped like knives through Logan's heart. Bobby may have lost his best friend to the dark, but he had lost something much more dear.

Jean Grey was once a Professor at Xavier's school. Her gifts of telekinesis and telepathy made her a valuable teacher at the mutant school. She was well liked by all. Her husband, Scott, worshipped her. And Logan loved her.

Jean's selfless sacrifice for her team at Alkali Lake months before left everyone devastated. The same day, John Allerdyce, calling himself Pyro, had abandoned his team. He'd run off with the bitter mutants Magneto and Mystique and left his best friend Bobby behind.

A glance at Scott told Logan that the younger man was suffering just as much from Kurt's words. Under his protective visor that kept his destructive mutant power controlled, Scott's face was contorted in pain. But, the man code-named Cyclops had to be strong for his team. His wife was gone but there were others who depended on him still.

He wouldn't let them down.


	3. Mourning

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** I've recently realized that this story is going to have like 4 more chapters and then it will be finished. Hmm. I've never written a story of medium length like that, lol. Anyway, here you go!

**DISCLAIMER** Don't own anyone…*sigh* Come on, who _wouldn't_ want to own James Marsden in leather??

**Jenaneter** Yeah, I've decided that I have no idea whether they were married or not so I just picked one. Scott and Kurt will definitely be in it more!

**Crysdan Potter Black** Thanks! Yeah, this was one of the saddest movies I've seen as well. I'm trying to write the characters very emotionally…I figure this would be an emotional time.

"Bobby, stop!" Rogue said when she finally caught up to her boyfriend. Placing a gloved hand on his shoulder, she got him to turn around. "What happened?"

Bobby faced her, his emotions running all over the place. His irises flashed ice blue and sprays of frost fell gently to the floor as he clenched and unclenched his fists. His ability to manipulate and create ice was still partially related to his emotions and both were quickly approaching out of control.

"It was awful," he finally said softly. He looked to Rogue. "Everything was burned. There were no people killed…but he destroyed everything!"

Rogue's eyes filled with tears. "Why?"

"I don't know. Magneto must have been there, too. Everything metal in sight was mangled and twisted and…" Bobby stopped and ran his hand through his hair, leaving icicles clinging to the brown strands. He turned from his girlfriend. "I have to go change. This black leather, not all that comfortable."

She didn't stop him as he left. She had only known Pyro for a short while. Bobby had been close to him since arriving at Xavier's school. Bobby was suffering a lot more than she was.

A soft "bamph" noise behind her echoed through the hall. "He vas a brave fighter today," the blue-skinned teleporter named Kurt commented.

Rogue only nodded. "This won't get any easier for him," she asked quietly. "Will it?"

Kurt looked at the fragile girl sadly. "No. It von't."

Rogue nodded again. "I have to go," she mumbled before running off down the hall.

Kurt just sadly watched her go. She had been through far too much in the past year. The emergence of her mutant ability to absorb a person's life force and energy through skin-to-skin contact made her teenage years even more hellish than normal. Her growing relationship with Bobby despite their physical limitations battled her obvious infatuation with Logan.

The newest mutant in Xavier's team, Kurt had had only a little time to get to know Logan, Storm, Scott, Bobby, and Rogue. But as the Incredible Nightcrawler in the Munich circus, always shunned because of his obvious mutant appearance, he'd become an adept observer of others. And the X-Men's loyalty to each other was one of the most touching bonds he'd ever seen.

With a whispered prayer of strength, Kurt teleported from the empty hallway down to the uniform lockers. Bobby was right; black leather was uncomfortable. Especially with a tail.

***

Storm wandered back outside in an attempt to recover the golden afternoon. But the distressing news brought by Scott, Kurt, and Bobby made that impossible. She couldn't stop the gray clouds rolling across the sky anymore than she could stop the tears welling up in her eyes.

The loss of Pyro to Magneto's brotherhood was a devastating blow to everyone at Xavier's school. But it was nothing compared to the pain Storm felt over the loss of Jean. The telepathic, calm fellow professor had been the white-haired woman's only close friend. Pyro and Jean were lost on the same day. Thinking of one invariably led to the other.

"Very interesting veather."

Storm jumped, startled. "Kurt. I didn't hear you come over."

Kurt smiled, revealing mean-looking fangs that the gentle mutant would never use. "Does that really surprise you?"

Storm half-smiled. "I guess not."

The blue mutant crouched in a chair, his tail swishing in the now windy afternoon. Storm reclaimed the chair she had earlier. Kurt looked up at the turbulent sky. "How are you doing?"

"Fine."

Kurt raised an eyebrow and nodded toward the sky. "Really."

A blush crept over Storm's dark skin. "Just a little upset. Hearing about Pyro's crimes…well, it reminds me of losing Jean, too." A few drops of rain fell as Storm wiped stray tears from her eyes.

"Ororo," Kurt said softly, running a blue finger gently across her cheek. "Do not cry. Jean is in a much better place than ve are."

She simply nodded. The rain stopped and a bit of sunlight broke through the clouds as she regained some control over her emotions. "Thank you."

Kurt smiled. "You are very velcome." With a soft noise and a puff of blue smoke, he disappeared.

Storm knew he was right, but it didn't make things any less painful. She was also especially worried about Scott, Bobby, and Logan. They were suffering most of all.


	4. Seeing

**DISCLAIMER** Don't own anyone…too bad for me too…and it's not even out on DVD yet, so I don't even own the movie *sniff*

Logan looked at what had formerly been his pillow. A fit of sorrow-fueled rage had driven him to shred it completely. He sighed. "Screw it." Tossing the pillow's remains aside, he very ungracefully fell onto the bed, eyes squeezed shut.

The memories of Jean would not stop assaulting him. As much as he tried, he couldn't make them go away. Every night he dreamt of her. Of the last time he saw her.

Lying on his bed brooding was doing nothing for his very short temper. It took all of his self-control to keep his adamantium claws sheathed as he left the room.

He found Rogue and Bobby as well as a few students lounging in the kitchen and adjoining living room. "Hey Logan," Rogue greeted him.

"Hey."

Rogue watched Logan as he got a soda out of the cupboard and tossed it silently to Bobby. Bobby popped off the cap and blew an icy gust into the bottle. He handed it back to Logan, who didn't say a word. Rogue felt pity for the stoic man. He was obviously in pain. She wished there was something she could do for him, but what did she have to offer?

Piotr Rasputin and Theresa Cassidy were in the living room, filling in new students on the events of the midnight raid. Piotr, being one of the oldest students and having the gift of transforming his skin to metal, had been instrumental in saving several other students from capture. Theresa had held the intruders off for quite a while with her banshee-like scream. But she had been stunned that night and often needed someone to walk with her at night.

Bobby saw the sad look on Rogue's face as she gazed at Logan. It got under his skin to see his girlfriend looking at another man like that. He understood that the two had a special bond dating back to before they'd arrived. It still bothered him.

In the living room, Theresa yawned. Piotr took the hint and ended his story quickly. "Come on, Theresa," he said to the young girl. "I'm getting tired. Time to go upstairs?" He felt for the little girl and didn't want to embarrass her by offering to walk her back to her room.

Theresa nodded and looked adoringly at Piotr as they left the room. One by one, all the students let the room and only Logan, Bobby, and Rogue were left. They sat in silence.

"Well," Bobby said dully. "I'm going to bed." He stood up and gave Rogue a quick kiss. Even the seconds-long contact he could feel deep inside. It was like a vacuum had been shoved down his throat and was tugging at each one of his organs. But his feelings for Rogue were so strong that he wanted physical contact no matter what the cost.

The feeling inside didn't fade until after he'd reached his room.

Rogue and Logan were silent. "You don't hafta stay here for my sake, kid," he finally grunted.

She just looked at him. "I'm not tired."

Logan just shrugged. "How's Bobby?" he asked, not really caring but feeling the need for small talk.

"He's okay," Rogue answered non-committally. She didn't want to talk about Bobby. But when she went to comment further, she noticed the strain in Logan's face. "Logan, what's wrong?"

"I dunno. Something's here."

Rogue looked around the room, but saw nothing. "I don't see – "

"Shh!" Logan cut her off. He motioned to the left-hand door. Rogue crouched near an easy chair, watching the doorway nervously. Slowly, a soft orange glow filled the hallway. Before Rogue could do anything, it flared into a blinding white light and the heat burned her skin. She screamed and flung herself behind the chair.

'Pyro!' she thought desperately. 'He's come back to kill us all!'

"John!" she sobbed before she could stop herself. "Why are you doing this?"

But John did not answer. All Rogue heard was Logan cry, "No…no! Come back!" Then all was silent and dark.

Rogue didn't move. Memories of the raid had mixed with her fear and she felt paralyzed. Suddenly she heard her name.

"Rogue!" Bobby called as he burst into the room. She stood up and ran into his arms.

Kurt materialized in the room and Scott and Storm ran in moments later. Professor Xavier, having adapted very well to his confinement to the wheelchair for several years, was not far behind.

"What happened?" Scott asked.

"Oh God, Logan!" Storm cried when she saw the man sprawled face down on the floor. She bent down and rolled him over gently. He moaned incoherently.

"He is un-harmed," Professor Xavier assured everyone. "Rogue, what happened?"

"I don't know…Logan and I were talking and then he sensed something coming. I saw a light in the hallway and hid behind a chair so I didn't see what it was. But the light looked and felt like fire." Rogue sniffed. "It must have been John," she said, her voice wavering.

Professor Xavier's face was unreadable. "I don't think you have anything further to fear tonight," he said gently after a minute. "Ororo, will you take Rogue upstairs?"

"Of course, Professor." Storm took Rogue from Bobby and led her from the room.

"Scott, Bobby, will you please bring Logan to his room?"

"Not the infirmary?" Scott asked.

Xavier shook his head. "He will be fine."

Scott conceded and he and Bobby half-carried, half-dragged Logan from the room. Kurt looked at Professor Xavier for a moment, decided against asking questions, and teleported from the room.

Alone, Professor Xavier smiled. "About time," he said before rolling back to bed.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** I know the scene in the kitchen is very close to the scene with Logan and Bobby in X2…I think it's supposed to be. Or maybe it isn't, lol. But I am aware that it's very close.

Piotr Rasputin is the real name of Colossus and Theresa Cassidy is the real name of Siryn. Based on the powers shown in the movie, I'm sure of Colossus and pretty sure that it was Siryn who screamed.


	5. Waiting

**DISCLAIMER** Don't own anyone, you all know that.

**Jen1703** I've tried to add a lot of Scott/Jean tones to the end…hope you like!

**Lady of the Lake** You just saw it? *jealous* It's been out of theaters for a long time here…but one good thing was that when my theater lost it, my boss gave me the two huge vinyl banners that were up on the walls *grin*

Logan awoke disoriented after a night of fitful sleep. His head was still in a fog from strange dreams as he wandered down to east breakfast.

"Good morning, Logan," Professor Xavier greeted him cheerfully.

"Morning," Logan grunted. Odd phrases kept tumbling through his head. They didn't mean anything to him, just the only memorable remnants of an otherwise forgotten dream.

"That your passion may live through its own daily resurrection, and like the phoenix rise about its own ashes," he muttered, unable to put the maddening phrase to rest. 'Where in hell did I get that?' he asked himself.

"What's that?" Xavier asked curiously.

Logan shrugged. "Some phrase I got stuck in my head. Think I dreamed it up."

The Professor shook his head. "It is from Gibran's The Prophet, the section 'On Reason and Passion.'"

Totally confused, Logan fell heavily into a chair. "Never heard of the guy." His head was pounding. The Wolverine did not get headaches. "What happened to me last night?"

Xavier appeared deep in thought. Not that he ever _didn't_ appear deep in thought. "You don't remember?"

"Nope." Logan thought for a moment. "I remember talking to Rogue and something started coming toward the room. Then I woke up this morning."

"And you remember nothing." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Guess not." Logan was confused. Xavier obviously wasn't going to tell him. Sometimes that man really bugged him.

"I will see you later, Logan." The Professor had left the room before Logan could turn around. Logan rolled his eyes. The brilliant telepath had an annoying habit of being cryptic and it drove Logan nuts.

That stupid phrase kept repeating itself. By the end of his breakfast, Logan was seriously contemplating driving his adamantium claws through his skull. Instead, he settled on stealing Scott's motorcycle again, heading off to find a beer.

***

For the first time, Professor Xavier was glad to be the only telepath in the mansion. The mind was a place of absolute privacy and the Professor never invaded that privacy unless he had to. And now no one could invade his. He didn't want anyone to ruin his surprise.

The ultimate trick would be assembling the X-Men without arousing their suspicions. 'But,' the Professor thought to himself. 'I've never been one for surprises. This will shock them for several reasons!'

He was quite proud of himself.

***

Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of the mansion, the late morning sky had turned grayish-black, as if with an approaching storm. Storm herself was just making herself lunch as a groggy Rogue wandered down to make breakfast. Kurt watched the two women fondly.

A sudden crack of thunder startled everyone in the room. Even Rogue woke up enough to look startled. The three mutants clustered around the window and saw a raging lightning storm under a black sky.

"Ororo?" Kurt asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"This isn't me." Storm's eyes turned milky white as she let her powers take over. But a moment later they returned to normal. "I can't stop it," she told Kurt and Rogue. "It's not a normal weather pattern."

"Could there be another mutant nearby?" Rogue asked. "Someone else with your power?"

Storm looked apprehensive. "Not that I know of. Perhaps the Professor will know what's going on."

Rogue and Kurt nodded. The tree quickly left the room. As they hurried through the mansion, they avoided all windows and nature's violence outside.

Professor Xavier expected them. He firmly assured them that it was nothing more than a sever meteorological occurrence and to not worry. Rogue and Kurt were relieved by his words but Storm did not leave with them.

She studied Xavier. She never professed to know what the man was thinking, but she knew him well. Along with Scott and Jean, she was one of his first students. He was like a father to her, as he own had been killed many years ago. It was obvious that the Professor was not telling her everything.

"Please do not ask questions, Ororo," the older man said. "I promise that you are all very safe."

Storm nodded uncertainly. She trusted Charles Xavier with her life, but she knew there was something going on that he was keeping from everyone. She just hoped he'd fill everyone in soon.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** That phrase really is from The Prophet like I said. And I know that in the real comic book series Storm was not one of the first students, but that's how they do it in the movie. For the actual original character Storm, her parents were killed while she was still in Africa. Only one more chapter to go!


	6. Dreaming

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** This is the end of "From the Ashes." There is one more chapter, which will be the story's theme song and then no more. I may do a sequel to this, but not for a while as there are 5 other stories I'm working on at the moment, lol.

**DISCLAIMER** I don't own the X-Men, the Phoenix, or anyone in this story.

**SperryDee** You came in at the end! This is the last chapter *sad face* But I'm glad you enjoyed it!

The storm raged throughout the afternoon. The X-Men sought refuge in the mansion's lower levels, restricted to everyone save the elite team. Something about the unnaturally savage storm unnerved them.

Kurt seemed the calmest of them all. He crouched in a corner, mumbling to himself and holding his rosary. Logan on the other hand, who had returned from his search with no beer, had passed edgy and was quickly approaching stressed.

"What the hell is going on out there?" he growled.

"A thunderstorm," Scott snapped back. "It tends to happen. It's called weather." Everyone's nerves were rattled.

"The storm is breaking. Please come upstairs." Each of the X-Men heard the Professor's psychic call as thought it had been played on a loudspeaker. Obediently, they heeded his request.

Once all six members of the team had gathered upstairs, the Professor herded them towards a sliding patio door.

"Wait a minute," Bobby protested. "We're going outside?" Xavier smiled, indicating yes.

"But Professor Xavier, didn't you see the storm?" Rogue asked.

"I believe the storm is over." Sure enough, the black clouds had parted. Beyond them, a spectacular mottling of stars shone on black velvet sky. But as beautiful as it was, none f the X-Men could figure out why the Professor had called them there. They stood in silence.

Kurt saw it first. "Look!" he whispered. Sure enough, a bright orange star seemed to be falling toward them. They watched in silent awe, mesmerized by its glow.

As it neared Earth, the dot began to take form. A giant majestic bird of flame flapped its wings and circled the skies. "What…what is it?" Bobby asked.

Scott's eyes filled with tears behind his glasses. "Jean!" he called brokenly.

He was right. The heart of the fiery bird, her body a part of its, was Jean Grey. Her red hair danced in the phoenix's fire. As she opened her eyes, warmth and peace radiated from them. "Hello," she said, her voice sounding of happiness.

"Jean," Logan whispered, afraid it was all a dream.

"Jean! Is it you?" Storm asked incredulously.

Jean smiled. "I am here. The Phoenix was with me at Alkali Lake. She chose me. We are one. And from our death, together we rose from the ashes."

Logan's heart skipped a beat and he looked to Professor Xavier. The Professor smiled and nodded. "It was you. You came into the mansion last night!"

Smiling, Jean and the Phoenix both nodded. "But I had to see you all, so I fled before anyone saw me." She fixed glowing eyes on Logan. "Or remembered seeing me."

Logan's heart broke. Jean had come back!  
"Are you really here? Did you really come back?" Rogue asked hopefully.

The eyes of the Phoenix turned sad. "No."

"No?" The shaky voice of the X-Men's leader broke the momentary silence. Scott had just gotten his wife back…now she was leaving him again?

The lady of fire in the sky would have shed tears if she could. "No. I cannot stay. The Phoenix is a being not of the world. I cannot confine her to Earth. But I came here tonight to reassure all of you that I am okay and not to worry."

Scott didn't even notice the tears running from his eyes. Never had anyone seen Cyclops so broken. His team just watched in silence. In a small voice, Scott asked, "But why can't you stay?"

The Phoenix flickered and Jean herself smiled just a little. "I will stay with you always. With all of you. I will watch over you. Each one of you is strong."

Storm shook her head. "I don't know if we are," she said sadly. "You were always our strength."

Jean smiled. "In your heart, you know I am right. And in your heart, I will always be with you. And one day, things will be different. Time has its own healing powers."

"But how much time?" Kurt asked, mostly for others who could not speak.

"It will be the day that you least expect. Carried by fire, I will return." Her image shivered and suddenly the Phoenix was gone.

Jean Grey stood on the ground in front of them. Every eye was tear-filled as she walked toward them.

Husband and wife were reunited for a moment as Scott took Jean in his arms one last time. "I love you!" Jean whispered.

Then she returned to the sky, engulfed in flame. "Please don't cry for me. I'm safe and so are you." A tendril of fire seemed to reach out and caress the cheeks of everyone. "Good-bye."

Before anyone could register it, she was gone. A softly glowing orange star faded into the blackness above. "Come on everyone," Professor Xavier said softly. "It's been a long day."

The team known as the X-Men went to sleep that night one member short as they always had since that day at Alkali Lake. But each one felt just a touch more reassurance that one day the pain would be less. One day things would feel normal again.

Cyclops, Storm, Iceman, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and the Wolverine all dreamt of a fiery-tailed phoenix circling over their heads, watching out for them.


End file.
